Ethan Coen’s ‘Honey Don’t!’ Hits U.S. Cinemas Today Starring Margaret Qualley

Ethan Coen returns to the director’s chair today with the U.S. release of Honey Don’t!, a crime comedy that blends noir atmosphere with cult unease and a trail of mysterious deaths. The film arrives via Focus Features and marks Coen’s second outing without his brother Joel, following last year’s Drive-Away Dolls.

At the center of Honey Don’t! is Margaret Qualley, reuniting with Coen after Drive-Away Dolls. This time she takes the lead as Honey O’Donahue, a trench coat–wearing private investigator whose routine case spirals into something far more sinister. What begins with a car accident soon unravels into a tangle of deaths linked to a suspicious church and its magnetic preacher.

That preacher is played by Chris Evans, who ditches his clean-cut image to embody a pulpit leader brimming with charm, menace, and secrets. He’s surrounded by a sharp supporting cast: Aubrey Plaza as a law enforcer with her own baggage, Charlie Day as a frazzled detective, plus Billy Eichner, Talia Ryder, and Lena Hall in smaller but notable turns. Qualley has been quick to spotlight her co-star Plaza, telling IndieWire she’s “one of my favorite actors and people of all time.”

Written by Coen and longtime collaborator Tricia Cooke, Honey Don’t! slides between menace and absurdity with ease. The pair have carved out a reputation for fusing caustic wit with the darker edges of human behavior, and the early footage promises plenty of that signature mix. If Drive-Away Dolls hinted at Coen’s solo groove, this one looks to cement it.

Still, the director hasn’t ruled out teaming up with his brother again. Speaking to Empire, he remarked, “None of the decisions are definitive. We might make another movie.” For now, though, his creative energy is tied firmly to Honey Don’t!, which premiered earlier this year out of competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where it earned a warm reception.

Theatrical audiences in the U.S. get their first taste today, while the U.K. release is set for September 5. With its mix of cult intrigue, crime capers, and a cast clearly having fun tearing into the material, Honey Don’t! has all the makings of a late-summer sleeper hit.

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